One of the things we like to do here at the Malted Meeple is give some extra attention to our favorite board game publishers and designers. In our monthly Publisher’s Spotlight we provide a bit of a background on the publisher, discuss a few of their games, and may even announce a visit to The Meeple by some of the publisher’s representatives!
As the hot summer comes to a close and convention season begins to wind down, we here at The Malted Meeple are gearing up for the big one: Gen Con 2016. This got us thinking about the games we brought back from last year’s haul. Mysterium was definitely the game on everyone’s list at Gen Con 2015. This month we are shining the light from our Publisher’s Spotlight on the company behind Mysterium, Libellud!
Based in Pointers, France, Libellud was founded in 2008 by Régis Bonnessée. They published their first board game, Dixit, in December 2008. The game, designed by Jean-Louis Roubira, was widely successful and won many awards – including the coveted Spiel Des Jares (Game of the Year) in 2010. This was historic as it was the first time that a French board game publisher and author were recognized with this honor.
The games designed by Libellud celebrate imagination, dreams made real, magic, and mystery. All of their games feature fantastic art work from a variety of illustrators. You can find several of these beautiful games in our library here at the Meeple, including: Mysterium, Seasons, and Dixit!
Dixit is a Malted Meeple family favorite. Players have a hand of cards featuring only artwork, no text. On a player’s turn, they must select a card from their hand, place it face down on the table, and declare a theme. The other players must choose a card in their hand that best fits that theme. The cards are randomized and displayed so that players can vote on which one they think is the active player’s card. The active player only scores points if some, but not all, players find their card. If they are too vague or too specific, they will gain no points!
In Mysterium, players take on the role of a team of psychics attempting to commune with a spirit from beyond the grave. One player takes on the role of the spirit, the victim of a murder most foul! The spirit can only communicate by sharing vision cards with each of the players, hoping that they will understand his clues. Each psychic is searching for a unique combination of person, location, and murder weapon. However, the game is fully cooperative, as all players win or lose together. But time is against the psychics, if the players are not able to solve the murder in eight rounds, they will lose the game!
On your next visit to the Meeple ask your Game Master for their favorite Libellud title. If you will be attending Gen Con this year, please make sure to say hello! For those of you not attending, fear not! We will surely return laden down with new games for our library. Swing in to The Malted Meeple to see what is new on tap and fresh off the shelf!
Karington Hess is a lifelong gamer whose passions for hospitality and all things game-related led him to Ravenwood Castle, where he served as an Innkeeper before joining The Malted Meeple. When not pouring beers, crafting milkshakes, or teaching boardgames, Karington can be found behind the DM’s screen, weaving intricate stories for his fellow gamers.